What are the primary symptoms of norovirus infection. How does norovirus spread so easily. Why is norovirus often called the stomach flu. What steps can be taken to prevent norovirus transmission. How is norovirus typically diagnosed and treated. When should medical attention be sought for a norovirus infection. What are the risks of dehydration from norovirus, especially in children.

Understanding Norovirus: The Highly Contagious Stomach Bug

Norovirus, often mistakenly referred to as the “stomach flu” or “stomach bug,” is a highly contagious viral infection that primarily affects the gastrointestinal system. Despite its nickname, norovirus is not related to influenza. This virus is notorious for causing outbreaks in close-quarter environments such as schools, childcare centers, cruise ships, and healthcare facilities.

The virus’s ability to spread rapidly and its resistance to many common disinfectants make it a significant public health concern. Understanding its symptoms, transmission methods, and prevention strategies is crucial for limiting its impact on individuals and communities.

Recognizing Norovirus Symptoms: From Nausea to Fever

Norovirus typically incubates for 24 to 48 hours before symptoms appear. The primary symptoms of a norovirus infection include:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Watery diarrhea
• Abdominal pain or cramping
• Low-grade fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Muscle aches

Can norovirus cause severe complications? While most cases resolve within a few days, severe vomiting and diarrhea can lead to dehydration, especially in young children, older adults, and those with compromised immune systems. Dehydration symptoms may include decreased urination, dry mouth and throat, dizziness, and in severe cases, sunken eyes and decreased skin elasticity.

The Highly Contagious Nature of Norovirus

Norovirus’s ability to spread rapidly is due to several factors:

1. Low infectious dose: It takes only a small number of virus particles to cause infection.
2. Environmental stability: The virus can survive on surfaces for days or weeks.
3. Resistance to many common disinfectants
4. Prolonged shedding: Infected individuals can continue to spread the virus even after symptoms subside.

How is norovirus transmitted? The virus spreads through:

• Direct contact with an infected person
• Consuming contaminated food or water
• Touching contaminated surfaces and then touching the mouth
• Inhaling virus particles from the air after someone vomits

Diagnosing Norovirus: Symptoms vs. Laboratory Tests

How do healthcare providers diagnose norovirus? In most cases, diagnosis is based on the characteristic symptoms and their rapid onset. Laboratory tests are typically not necessary for individual cases but may be used in outbreak situations or for patients with severe symptoms.

When laboratory confirmation is needed, stool samples are analyzed using methods such as:

• Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR)
• Enzyme immunoassays (EIAs)
• Electron microscopy

Treatment Approaches for Norovirus Infections

There is no specific antiviral treatment for norovirus infections. Management focuses on symptomatic relief and preventing complications, particularly dehydration. Key treatment strategies include:

• Oral rehydration: Consuming clear fluids or oral rehydration solutions to replace lost fluids and electrolytes
• Rest: Allowing the body to recover and fight the infection
• Gradual reintroduction of food: Starting with bland, easily digestible foods as symptoms improve

When should medical attention be sought for a norovirus infection? Seek medical care if:

• Symptoms persist beyond three days
• There are signs of severe dehydration
• Blood appears in the stool
• Fever exceeds 102°F (39°C)

Preventing Norovirus Spread: Hygiene and Disinfection

Preventing norovirus transmission requires diligence in personal hygiene and environmental cleaning. Key prevention strategies include:

• Frequent and thorough handwashing with soap and water
• Proper food handling and preparation practices
• Thorough cleaning and disinfection of contaminated surfaces
• Prompt washing of contaminated clothing and linens
• Isolation of infected individuals until at least 48 hours after symptoms resolve

Which disinfectants are effective against norovirus? While the virus is resistant to many common disinfectants, chlorine bleach solutions (at least 1000 ppm) and other EPA-registered products specifically labeled for norovirus are effective when used correctly.

Norovirus in Special Populations: Children and the Elderly

Children and older adults are particularly vulnerable to norovirus infections and their complications. In childcare settings, strict hygiene protocols and prompt exclusion of sick children are crucial for controlling outbreaks. For older adults, especially those in long-term care facilities, prevention strategies should be rigorously implemented, and staff should be trained to recognize and respond quickly to potential outbreaks.

Why are children at higher risk for dehydration from norovirus? Children have a higher surface area to volume ratio, which means they lose fluids more quickly. They also may be less able to communicate their needs or maintain adequate fluid intake on their own.

The Global Impact of Norovirus: Outbreaks and Economic Burden

Norovirus has a significant global impact, causing an estimated 685 million cases annually worldwide. In the United States alone, norovirus is responsible for:

• 19-21 million cases of acute gastroenteritis each year
• 1.7-1.9 million outpatient visits
• 400,000 emergency department visits
• 56,000-71,000 hospitalizations
• 570-800 deaths, mostly among young children and the elderly

What is the economic impact of norovirus outbreaks? The economic burden of norovirus in the U.S. is estimated at $2 billion annually, considering healthcare costs, lost productivity, and other factors. Globally, the impact is even more substantial, affecting tourism, healthcare systems, and food industries.

Norovirus Vaccines: Current Research and Future Prospects

While there is currently no approved vaccine for norovirus, several candidates are in various stages of development. Challenges in vaccine development include:

• The virus’s genetic diversity and rapid evolution
• The need for broad protection against multiple strains
• Achieving long-lasting immunity

Promising approaches include virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines and mucosal immunization strategies. As research progresses, a norovirus vaccine could potentially reduce the global burden of this ubiquitous pathogen.

Norovirus in Food Service: A Critical Control Point

The food service industry plays a crucial role in norovirus prevention and control. Key measures include:

• Strict adherence to food safety regulations
• Regular training of food handlers on proper hygiene practices
• Implementation of sick leave policies that discourage working while ill
• Proper cleaning and sanitization of food preparation areas

How can consumers protect themselves from norovirus in food? Consumers should practice food safety at home, be cautious when dining out, and stay informed about local norovirus outbreaks or food recalls.

Norovirus Surveillance and Outbreak Management

Public health agencies play a vital role in monitoring norovirus activity and responding to outbreaks. Surveillance methods include:

• Laboratory-based surveillance of clinical specimens
• Monitoring of outbreak reports from healthcare facilities and other institutions
• Analysis of syndromic surveillance data from emergency departments

Effective outbreak management involves rapid identification, implementation of control measures, and coordination between healthcare providers, public health officials, and affected institutions.

The Role of Environmental Factors in Norovirus Transmission

Environmental conditions can significantly influence norovirus transmission and survival. Factors to consider include:

• Temperature and humidity levels
• Surface materials and porosity
• Presence of organic matter
• Exposure to sunlight or UV radiation

Understanding these factors can inform more effective cleaning and disinfection strategies in various settings, from healthcare facilities to public transportation.

Norovirus and Travel: Protecting Yourself on the Go

Travelers, especially those on cruise ships or visiting areas with limited sanitation infrastructure, should take extra precautions to avoid norovirus infection:

• Pack alcohol-based hand sanitizers for situations where handwashing is not possible
• Be cautious with food and water sources in unfamiliar locations
• Stay informed about any norovirus outbreaks at your destination
• Consider travel insurance that covers medical evacuation in case of severe illness

How can cruise ship passengers reduce their risk of norovirus infection? Follow all hygiene recommendations provided by the cruise line, use hand sanitizers frequently, and report any gastrointestinal symptoms promptly to the ship’s medical staff.

The Psychological Impact of Norovirus Outbreaks

While often overlooked, the psychological impact of norovirus outbreaks can be significant, particularly in settings like schools or long-term care facilities. Effects may include:

• Anxiety about potential infection
• Stress from disrupted routines or isolation measures
• Stigma associated with being infected or part of an affected group

Addressing these psychological aspects is important for comprehensive outbreak management and community recovery.

Norovirus and Food Safety: From Farm to Fork

Norovirus contamination can occur at any point in the food supply chain. Key areas of focus for prevention include:

• Agricultural practices, particularly for fresh produce
• Food processing and packaging facilities
• Transportation and storage conditions
• Retail and restaurant handling practices

Implementing comprehensive food safety programs that address norovirus specifically can help reduce the risk of foodborne outbreaks.

The Future of Norovirus Research: Emerging Technologies and Approaches

Ongoing research aims to improve our understanding and management of norovirus. Promising areas include:

• Development of rapid, point-of-care diagnostic tests
• Exploration of novel antiviral therapies
• Advancements in vaccine technology
• Application of artificial intelligence for outbreak prediction and management

These developments hold the potential to significantly reduce the global burden of norovirus infections in the coming years.

Symptom Checker with Body from WebMD

NEW: This symptom checker now includes the ability to select symptoms by body location. We hope this makes it easier for you to identify your symptoms and possible conditions.

The tool also allows you to select multiple symptoms quickly. Click to see FAQs and tips for searching

1) How many body sections are there?

• There are 11 primary body regions and 41 sub-regions from which you can choose. For example, the arm is a primary region, and your elbow is a more specific sub-region. The ability to choose sub-regions allows you to more precisely specify your symptoms.

2) What should I do if I’m not sure which body area to choose?

• Since all symptoms in a sub-region (example “elbow”) are also listed in the primary body region (example “arm”), it is best to start with the primary body region if you are unsure exactly where the symptom is on your body.

3) What if my symptom isn’t associated with a specific body location (for example, “chills”)?

• If you are not sure what body area your symptom falls under, you can type your symptom in the main search box or select the “General Symptoms” category.

• There is also a separate section for skin symptoms only.

4) What if I don’t see my symptom on the list?

• When a body location is selected, the “most common symptoms” are displayed first, but you can also switch tabs to see “All” symptoms.

• You can also use the category-specific search box to search for all symptoms in that category.

• The search box on the main page includes ALL symptoms in all categories.

5) What if I can’t find my condition or my medication on the “Questions” page?

•If your condition or medication is not displayed in the type-ahead list, we don’t have enough information about it to factor it into the results. If you don’t see it, skip that field.

• All questions are optional, you can always skip directly to results.

6) Are there any other tips for using this symptom checker?

• If you need to go back to a previous page, please use the “back” or “previous” buttons within the tool. Do not use the back button on your browser or phone. You could lose the symptoms you entered.

• Results are ordered by how closely your symptoms match a condition AND how common it is (in the United States). Extremely rare conditions may not surface in this tool. You should always consult a doctor for specific concerns.

• We strongly suggest entering more than 1 symptom. It will likely improve your results.

This tool does not provide medical advice It is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the WebMD Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

Norovirus (for Parents) – Nemours KidsHealth

en español: Norovirus

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD

Primary Care Pediatrics at Nemours Children’s Health

What Is Norovirus?

Norovirus is a virus that causes diarrhea and vomiting. It’s sometimes called the stomach flu or stomach bug, but norovirus (NOR-uh-vy-ris) isn’t related to the flu.

What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Norovirus Infection?

About a day or two after contact with norovirus, a person may have symptoms such as:

• nausea and vomiting
• watery diarrhea
• belly pain

Some people might also have a fever, chills, headache, or muscle aches. Sometimes norovirus causes no symptoms, but infected people can still pass the virus to others.

A child with a norovirus infection who has a lot of diarrhea and vomiting can get dehydrated and feel lightheaded or dizzy.

Kids with other health problems may have more severe symptoms.

Is Norovirus Contagious?

Yes. Norovirus spreads easily, even before someone has symptoms. Sometimes an infected person can spread it for weeks after they feel better. Anyone can get a norovirus infection, especially if they spend time where many people gather, like at childcare centers and schools and on cruise ships.

The virus is in the poop or vomit of infected people. It can get on an object or surface, especially when someone doesn’t wash their hands well after using the toilet or changing a diaper. Kids can get the virus if they put their fingers in their mouths after touching a contaminated toy or surface.

People also can get infected from eating or drinking contaminated food or water (then, it’s known as food poisoning), and even by breathing in the virus if they’re close enough to an infected person who vomits.

How Is Norovirus Diagnosed?

Health care providers usually diagnose a norovirus infection based on symptoms, rather than a test.

If a child’s symptoms are severe, the provider may test the blood, poop, or pee.

How Is Norovirus Treated?

Most norovirus infections get better on their own. As your child recovers at home:

• They should get plenty of rest.
• Give lots of fluids to help your child stay hydrated.
• Give an oral rehydration solution (such as Pedialyte, Enfalyte, or a store brand) to replace lost fluids. It has the right amount of water, sugar, and salt for kids. You can buy it at drugstores or grocery stores without a prescription. You also can give frozen electrolyte pops or broth.
• Don’t give your child any medicines unless recommended by their health care provider. Note: Antibiotics only work against bacteria, so doctors don’t use them to treat norovirus.
• Make sure your child washes their hands well and often to prevent the virus from spreading. 
• When your child’s vomiting stops, offer small amounts of foods. A child who isn’t throwing up can eat a regular diet if they feel up to it. It may take time for them to feel like eating. There’s no need to avoid dairy products unless they make the vomiting or diarrhea worse. Your child may need to avoid greasy or fried foods until they feel better.

How Long Does Norovirus Last?

Symptoms of norovirus infection usually last about 2–3 days.

Kids with a norovirus infection should not go to school or childcare until their vomiting and diarrhea has stopped for 24 hours. They also should not go in swimming pools until they’re well again. Children in diapers should stay out of pools until their diarrhea has stopped for 7 days.

Can Norovirus Be Prevented?

It isn’t possible to completely prevent the spread of norovirus, and there’s no vaccine for it.

If someone in your household has a norovirus infection, take steps to help protect other family members:

• Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water before and after caring for or cleaning up after the sick person. Don’t use alcohol-based hand sanitizers because they won’t kill the germs.
• Wear rubber gloves and a face mask when cleaning up vomit or poop.
• Wipe soiled surfaces and toilet areas using a diluted bleach solution (5 tablespoons of bleach in a gallon of water). Leave the bleach solution in place for at least 10 minutes before wiping it away. (The bleach solution may discolor colored items.)
• Clean soiled clothing using the:
  • washing machine’s longest cycle and hot water settings
  • dryer’s high heat setting

When Should I Call the Doctor?

In most cases symptoms get better in a few days.  

Call the doctor if your child:

• goes more than a few hours without drinking
• has signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth, few tears when crying, peeing less than 3 times a day, or no wet diaper in 4–6 hours
• still has diarrhea or vomiting after a few days
• develops a high fever
• vomits blood, or has bloody diarrhea or severe belly pain

Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD

Date reviewed: April 2022

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Hemorrhagic fever

Hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) is a severe disease
accompanied by kidney damage, as well as hemorrhages in the sclera and blood vessels
conjunctiva, under the skin, and in severe cases, internal renal, gastric and
nosebleeds – was known less than 100 years ago, but today it
occupies one of the first places among all natural focal human diseases in
Russia. The dynamics of the incidence of HFRS is characterized by periodic rises
every 3-4 years, due to the frequency of mass reproduction of rodents –
the main carriers and natural reservoir of hantaviruses, pathogens of HFRS.
The official registration of HFRS in Russia began at 1978 and since then every year in
on average, 6,000 cases of the disease are registered, with a maximum of more than 20,000
cases in 1997.

Infected rodents shed the virus into the environment with saliva and
excrement. The main route of infection is aerogenic, in which the virus with dust,
contaminated with secretions of rodents enters the lungs of a person, where the conditions for
its reproduction is most favorable, and then it is transferred with blood to other
organs and tissues. It can also be transmitted through broken skin by contact with
excrement of rodents or with saliva in case of a bite by an animal.

The main way to prevent infection is to limit human contact with
rodents and objects contaminated with their secretions: protection of houses from rodents,
storage of products in conditions inaccessible to rodents, the use of masks,
wet cleaning and disinfection of rooms where rodent excretions are found, and summer cottages
after winter. Creation of sanitary zones in the territories around the garden
arrays and health facilities is a difficult task, however,
as practice has shown, contribute to a significant reduction in morbidity. Very
interesting ecological methods of regulation of the number of rodents-carriers
infections: for example, in the Scandinavian countries, favorable conditions are created for
birds of prey, which helps to contain the growth in the number of rodents carrying the virus.

The first cases of HFRS were discovered and described by Russian scientists in 1935
in the Far East. In subsequent years, outbreaks of the disease were recorded
among military personnel during field exercises and military operations in the Far
East and Manchuria. Among Soviet scientists and doctors for a long time it was believed that
that HFRS is common only in the Far East, since all the described
cases were registered in the Khabarovsk and Primorsky Territories and the Amur Region.
Later, a similar disease with less severe clinical manifestations was
registered in the Scandinavian countries and central Russia. Comparative
analysis carried out by Professor M.P. Chumakov showed the identity of these
diseases. Today it is established that the number of annually registered cases of HFRS
in the Far East is only 3% of the number of cases of HFRS in the European part
Russia.

HFRS research received a new impetus in 1951, during the Korean War,
when more than 3,000 American troops fell ill in Korea in three years,
and the mortality rate was 7%. To study HFRS, special
laboratories and allocated large funds. However, this time the carrier of the infection
was not installed and the virus was not isolated.

Research continued, sometimes with dramatic results. So,
in 1961 at the Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology. N.F.Gamalei in Moscow were
brought for research and placed in two working rooms
Kirov region voles. Three weeks after that, people began to get sick,
113 out of 186 employees and visitors of the laboratory where
rodents. Fortunately, they all recovered. This episode revealed the connection between
HFRS disease and contact with rodents. Strong immunity to
re-infection, since five employees who had previously had HFRS did not
fell ill during this outbreak.

The HFRS virus was isolated in 1976 in the laboratory of the South Korean
researcher Dr. Li. This discovery led to the development of a diagnostic method
detection of specific antibodies in patients and rodents-carriers of the virus, which has become
basis for further research and discovery of new hantaviruses. First Strain
virus was isolated from a field mouse and named the Hantaan virus, after the name of the river,
flowing in the capture area. Under the same name – Khantaan – in the international
In the catalog, a new genus of viruses in the Bunyavirus family was also registered. IN
later it became a tradition to name new hantaviruses after their place
detection.

The second hantavirus, the Seoul virus, was discovered by Dr. Lee in 1982. It was
it was established that it was he who caused the infection in urban residents who did not leave
outside the city, and its carrier is a gray rat. Today it is known that
Seoul virus is the most common of the hantaviruses, it has been found in all
inhabited continents, in 42 countries of the world, mainly in port cities.
Studies in 1982 showed that up to 15% of rats living in Seoul and up to 28% of rats
in Tokyo are infected with the virus. That time was a period of intensive development
biomedical research, the emergence of numerous laboratories with
experimental animals, in particular white laboratory rats.
It turned out that up to 29% of white lab rats were infected with Seoul virus and
that their infection came from wild gray rats. However, up to 40%
researchers working with laboratory animals had specific
antibodies to the Seoul virus, i.e. carried the infection latently.

These discoveries forced us to revise the rules for working with animals. Were accepted
new requirements for laboratory equipment, completely excluding contact and
penetration of wild rodents, new requirements for the verification of incoming shipments
animals from nurseries for the presence of hantavirus infection.

Another event that attracted great public and academic interest in
problem of hantavirus infection, there was an outbreak in 1993 in the United States
severe disease with a mortality rate of up to 40%, called hantavirus
pulmonary syndrome. The outbreak has been reported among American Indians,
living on reservations and having frequent contact with rodents. Main
the clinical symptoms of the new disease were significantly different from those of HFRS.
Subsequent studies revealed numerous foci of hantavirus infection in
countries of North and South America.

There are currently more than 30 different serotypes in the world and
hantavirus genotypes, and numerous foci of hantavirus infection were identified
worldwide.

Three hantaviruses, the causative agents, have been identified in the European part of Russia
GLPS. The lack of data on the genetic analysis of viruses that cause infections on
Far East of Russia determined the goals and objectives of our Center, actively
who joined the research on hantaviruses in 1997. The research was carried out
together with scientists from the Khabarovsk anti-plague station, the Institute
epidemiology and microbiology of Vladivostok and researchers from the USA. IN
as a result, three were identified and characterized, and not two, as expected
previously, the genotype of the pathogen virus. In addition to the Hantaan and Seoul viruses,
a previously unknown hantavirus was discovered, named after the place of its detection Amur.
We have shown that the host and carrier of the new virus is widely
widespread in the Far East of Russia, in Korea and China, East Asian
forest mouse. Subsequent studies by foreign scientists confirmed
prevalence of the Amur virus in China and Korea. The main applied result
these studies was the right choice of strains for the development
preventive vaccines, as well as the choice of optimal primers for testing
in the development of diagnostic PCR test systems.

At present, our Center, together with scientists from the Institute of Systematics and
animal ecology began the study of hantaviruses in Siberia. Discovered
new foci of hantavirus infection in the Republic of Altai, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk
and Kemerovo regions. The most interesting finding was the identification of two
new hantaviruses, named Altai and Artybash, in the middle and ordinary
shrews, which are not rodents, but insectivores. Published
Previously, a study of the immune layer among the population showed that in a number of
districts of the Tyumen and Omsk regions, the percentage of people who recovered from HFRS is comparable to that
in Udmurtia, where one of the most active European foci of HFRS and
where hundreds of patients are registered every year. Unfortunately, most doctors
there is no alertness to the possibility of HFRS in our region, and this
the disease in Siberia passes under other diagnoses.

For early diagnosis developed and started to be introduced into practice
PCR-based test systems to detect the virus from day one
diseases. Such a test system was developed jointly by SSC VB “Vektor” and CJSC
“Vector-Best”. Another test system was developed at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology, Moscow.
Both test systems are not yet licensed for laboratory use.

We have not resolved the issue of HFRS vaccine prophylaxis, since the basis
vaccines available in Korea and China are strains of the virus circulating only in
Asian countries. However, together with Korean scientists, it has already been developed
bivalent vaccine combining European and Asian strains of hantaviruses. TO
unfortunately, until this vaccine has passed all the necessary stages of testing and
available as a commercial drug.

Lyudmila Nikolaevna Yashina ,
PhD, Leading Researcher, Laboratory of Bunyaviruses

Serbian fever. Aleksandar Vučić is accused of links with gangsters

Mass demonstrations against President Vučić and his associates are approaching in scale those that preceded the overthrow of Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. What threatens the Serbian president, known for his many years of maneuvering between the West and Russia?

“Down with Vucic!”

In Belgrade and the largest cities of Serbia – Novi Sad in the north, Nis in the south and Kragujevac in the center of the country – thousands of people continue to demonstrate demanding the resignation of President Aleksandar Vučić. The human sea fills the central city blocks to the brim, but everything happens extremely peacefully. Some take children and dogs with them, some take a can of beer. “Down with Vucic!” Belgrade residents chant, carrying a cardboard figure of the president in a striped prison uniform. The images of Interior Minister Bratislav Gašić, director of the country’s main intelligence agency, the Security and Information Agency (BIA), Alexander Vulin, and several other people from the current administration are also dressed.

See also

Serbian President Vučić addresses the nation

Formally, this series of protests began after two cases of massacres in early May, which killed 18 people, including children. Initially, it was aimed against the “culture of violence” cultivated, according to the opposition, by the state, but almost immediately acquired a socio-political dimension. The protesters demand the resignation of not only the president, but also the security officials mentioned above, as well as the closure of the media that act as “mouthpieces of aggression and violence”, primarily TV channels Pink and Happy (according to the first of them, Vučić himself likes to address the nation). Many accuse Vučić of deliberately fueling the climate of violence in the country. The authoritarian methods of governance by the president, despite his recent popularity (in the 2022 elections, Vučić received about 60% of the votes), are less and less satisfied with a significant part of Serbian society.

Serbia is no longer a powder keg – it exploded

In response, the authorities showered political opponents with abuse – publicly uttered such words as “scum”, “thieves” and even “pedophiles”. Gross insults against them are heard even at meetings of the parliament – the National Assembly. The opposition, however, stands its ground. “We will not be healed even if all weapons are seized and all sociopaths are imprisoned while our fate is determined by the one who unleashed and saddled this evil,” one of the opposition leaders, the former chief of the General Staff of the Serbian army, tweeted. Hello Ponosh. It was Vučić who created the existing atmosphere of hatred, said English The Guardian vice-president of the Freedom and Justice Party Marinika Tepich. “Serbia is no longer a powder keg – it exploded.”

Almost like in Mexico

As the protest grows, other stories surface, the main of which concerns the Serb president’s ties to organized crime. Article by Robert Worth in The New York Times Magazine ( NYTM ), published in early May. It followed from it that Vučić used Serbian criminal gangs to strengthen his power.

The article says that as a result of the actions of the Belgian team of Europol, which, after long attempts, managed to decipher messages in the Sky ECC messenger, loved by cocaine dealers in Europe, in 2021, the leader of the Janissaries football fan group Veljko Belivuk was arrested and 29 of its members. Belivuk stated at a court session held behind closed doors that his group was organized on the orders of Vučić himself “for state purposes” – primarily intimidation of political rivals, and said that he personally met with the president. “The support that Belivuk and his friends have received from the police and the Ministry of the Interior over the past decade has been documented in court testimony, wiretaps and photographs. The suggestion that all this could have happened without the knowledge of Vučić causes laughter in Belgrade,” noted in the article. “Serbia now is a country where the police at different levels and at different times were involved in criminal activities. ”

Unrest in Kosovo, end of May 2023
Daniel Server not only football gangs, but also organized crime.”

Vučić stated that Article NYTM was commissioned by the CIA and reacted in his usual manner without saying anything to the point – “I will not be intimidated and I will fight for my country”. As an analyst at the American scientific center Robert Lansing Institute (RLI) notes Arbesa Hoxha-Dobrunai , Vučić blames the failures of his policies on the CIA, just as Vladimir Putin tries to present his problems as stemming from a confrontation with the West. Vučić’s strategy of consolidating his power in Serbia, the RLI expert continues, which involves reliance on criminal groups, seems to be applied in the north of Kosovo, where the Serbian minority lives compactly. “These gangs reportedly terrorize Kosovo Serbs who abide by Kosovo’s laws by burning cars with Kosovo license plates and destroying their private property.”

Vučić restored autocracy in Serbia and tolerates organized crime

The masters of bandit groups have specific names. Back in late 2021, the United States imposed sanctions against a group of Kosovo Serbs and some companies. The most notable figures targeted at the time were Milan Radojcic, deputy chairman of the Belgrade-controlled Serbian List party of Kosovo Serbs, and businessman Zvonko Veselinovic, who sponsors it. The Americans consider the latter to be the leader of an organized criminal group that, in addition to bribing politicians, is engaged in illegal trade in weapons and drugs, smuggling of goods between Serbia and Kosovo.

As political scientist Aleksandar Djokić notes, the political class of northern Kosovo, where Serbs live, is “deeply involved in criminal activity”, and the informal structures of this region have become effectively integrated into the Serbian political system since Vučić came to power in 2012. “Ordinary Serbs who live in the north of Kosovo are their hostages (like ordinary Mexicans depend on drug cartels). They are ordered to go to the barricades that the same criminal structures are building: if they do not agree, they may well be fired from their jobs, which they control people from these structures, and indirectly Vucic. When the Kosovo Serbs from the north have an independent representative, they get rid of him – again in a similar way to how the Mexican drug cartels crack down on politicians who do not agree to cooperate with them. Such a fate befell the popular Kosovo Serb leader Oliver Ivanovic – he was killed in 2018.” Vučić, thus, made the situation as difficult as possible for himself: “If he removes the mafia he relies on from the north of Kosovo, he will lose control over this territory, and if he does not deprive her of his support, they can start armed resistance to the authorities in Pristina and thereby endanger the lives of Kosovo Serbs.”

See also

“One spark is enough.” Northern Kosovo gripped by new unrest

Observers note that the Serbian leader is frankly afraid of a color revolution – his public statement is enough that he is warned about the possibility of such a development of events by “fraternal intelligence in the East”, it is not difficult to guess whose. At the end of May, Vucic formally resigned as president of the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SPS), but the protests did not stop there. Serbia continues to shake, Vučić is already ready to risk early parliamentary elections, but he is still far from the thought of leaving. Recently, the president reiterated that during his current term, that is, until 2027, Serbia “will remain on the path to the EU.” At the same time, the Serbian leader better assesses the historical perspective not of the European Union, but of the BRICS group (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa), while arguing arithmetically: “BRICS today has 3.2 billion people, and the entire collective West has about 9

Friendly Platinum Wolf

Aleksandar Vučić has long and consistently adhered to the universal principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket. in addition to members of the Serbian and American armed forces, units from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Hungary, Romania and North Macedonia are participating. Thus, Belgrade announced last year, three days after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a moratorium on military exercises with all foreign partners, including Russia, was actually violated. Predrag Radzic , Special Adviser to the Serbian Minister of Defense, explained to Kosovo Online that the Platinum Wolf exercise “has been going on for many years and is part of our country’s strategic determination to raise the political relationship between Serbia and the United States to an even higher level without compromising threat to the military neutrality of Serbia”.

Ceremony of the beginning of the exercises “Platinum Wolf 23” in southern Serbia

Even before the start of the maneuvers, US State Department adviser Derek Chollet thanked President Vučić for “resuming engagement with the US in defensive military exercises.” Press Secretary of the President of Russia Dmitry Peskov, , for his part, promised to “carefully observe” Serbia’s exercises with NATO countries. The Russian side should have enough experience in this regard: even before the start of the war in Ukraine, Serbia conducted several times more exercises with NATO units than with the Russian army. Serbia’s Individual Partnership Action Plan with NATO ( Individual Partnership Action Plan, IPAP ), agreed in 2014, gives alliance forces access to the country’s military infrastructure. An agreement with NATO, ratified by the Serbian parliament, guaranteed its personnel in Serbia diplomatic immunity, tax exemption, and free movement and access to any facilities throughout the territory.

I perfectly understand that some of the weapons may end up in Ukraine. But what is our alternative? Do not produce? Don’t sell?

Apparently, there are more interesting and non-public elements of the country’s relations with its partners in the West. According to the authoritative American publication Military Watch Magazine , Serbia is more and more willing to turn a blind eye to the fact that its arms exports are redirected through third countries to Ukraine. Demand for equipment compatible with the Soviet, which Serbia began to produce in the Yugoslav era, increased dramatically as a result of the war. Leakage of American intelligence documents dated April 12, which came into the possession of the agency Reuters , confirmed that Belgrade could have expressly agreed to provide lethal weapons to the Ukrainian army. As US Ambassador to Belgrade Christopher Hill stated (and in his words many heard a hint that the West softened its position on Kosovo in exchange for support for Ukraine): “Ukraine is a critical issue, and we found ourselves in a situation where on deck all hands are needed. And when everyone is busy with a common cause, then relations are getting better.”

President Vucic, continues Military Watch Magazine , the supply of weapons was not confirmed or denied, disputing only their intentionality. He said: “I’m not a fool. And I perfectly understand that some of the weapons may end up in Ukraine. Is it possible? I have no doubt that it is possible. But what is our alternative? Not to produce? Not to sell?” “The tacit permission for arms exports to Ukraine could be seen as a means to ease Western pressure on Belgrade while avoiding the public backlash that could result from more overt support for the Western bloc’s goals, for example, by joining sanctions against Russia.” , the magazine notes.

In Russia, Belgrade’s political and military maneuvers are met with somewhat curious responses. Recently, a monument to the last Yugoslav dictator, Slobodan Milosevic, was unveiled in Moscow. It was made by the Serbian sculptor Dragan Radenovich on the order of the Russian pro-Kremlin group of bikers “Night Wolves” and installed on the eve of Russia Day in their “Bike Center” in Nizhniye Mnevniki. Since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine, several dozen “Night Wolves” have volunteered for the war. As the customers of the monument hope, its location will be temporary: they are seeking the opportunity to place the sculpture in front of the US Embassy in Moscow or on the square near the Kievsky railway station.